Angelonia plant named ‘Balarcpur’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Balarcpur’, characterized by its deep lavender-blue colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, upright growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Angelonia angustifolia.

Variety denomination: ‘Balarcpur’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant botanically known as Angelonia angustifolia and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balarcpur’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Ill. during November 2005. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Angelonia cultivars having large flowers, unique flower coloration, continuous flowering, and a moderately vigorous, freely branching, and upright to semi-upright growth habit.

The new Angelonia cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Angelonia angustifolia breeding selection designated 355-2, not patented, characterized by its light lavender-blue colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, low vigor, and semi-upright growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Angelonia angustifolia breeding selection designated 1549, not patented, characterized by its white-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and vigorous, upright growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during December 2006 in a controlled environment in Elburn, Ill.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since December 2006 at Elburn, Ill. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Balarcpur’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant:

-   -   1. Deep lavender-blue colored flowers;     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage; and     -   3. Moderately vigorous, upright growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in flower color, flower size and growth habit, and from plants of the male parent primarily in flower color and flower size. Plants of the new cultivar have larger and deeper lavender-blue colored flowers than either the female or male parent.

Of the many commercially available Angelonia cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ANGELFACE Blue Improved ‘Anbluim’, U.S. Pat. No. 22,390. However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Anbluim’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have more fully-opened flowers per         inflorescence after 11 weeks growth than plants of ‘Anbluim’;     -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a glabrous stem texture that         is different from the densely glandular pubescent stem texture         of plants of ‘Anbluim’; and     -   3. Plants of the new cultivar are shorter than plants of         ‘Anbluim’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balarcpur’. The plants were grown in 4-inch pots for 11 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Balarcpur’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of ‘Balarcpur’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in March 2011 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grown in a glass-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in West Chicago, Ill. in 4-inch pots for 11 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70° F. to 77° F. (21° C. to 25° C.) during the day and approximately 65° F. to 68° F. (18° C. to 20° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels of 2,500 footcandles to 6,000 footcandles were maintained during the day. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia angustifolia cultivar Balarcpur. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Angelonia angustifolia breeding             selection designated 355-2, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Angelonia angustifolia breeding             selection designated 1549, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to 9 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 24 to 28             days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 5 to 8 weeks from a             rooted cutting to finish in a 10 cm pot.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous,             upright.         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:             Approximately 31.9 cm. Width: Approximately 16.8 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching. Quantity of main branches             per plant: Approximately 6.         -   Branch.—Shape: Square in cross section. Strength: Moderate,             somewhat brittle. Length: Approximately 20.9 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 3.0 mm. Length of central internode:             Approximately 1.4 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color of young             stem: 144B. Color of mature stem: 144A with an overlay of             187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per main branch:             Approximately 16. Fragrance: None. Form: Simple.             Arrangement: Opposite.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Perpendicular or obtuse angle to stem.             Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Widely serrate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Sessile. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf:             Approximately 7.3 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately             2.4 cm. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower             surface: Glabrous. Color of upper surface of young foliage:             137A with indistinguishable venation. Color of lower surface             of young and mature foliage: N137B with midvein of 145B,             other venation indistinguishable. Color of upper surface of             mature foliage: Closest to 139A with indistinguishable             venation. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Balarcpur’ is freely flowering under             outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous             blooming from spring through autumn and year-round in             greenhouse environment.         -   Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately             7 to 10 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Terminal raceme. Quantity per             plant: Approximately 5. Fragrance: Slight, sweet. Length or             height: Approximately 14.0 cm. Width: Approximately 5.5 cm.             Quantity of fully open flowers per inflorescence:             Approximately 7. -   Flower description:     -   -   Type.—Solitary, zygomorphic.         -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 3 to 4 days for bud to             progress from first color to fully open flower. Quantity per             inflorescence: Approximately 10.         -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Globular. Length:             Approximately 6.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 6.0 mm. Color             of upper surface: 145D and N187B. Color of lower surface:             145B.         -   Corolla.—Shape: Bilabiate. Aspect: Facing outward. Length:             Approximately 3.0 cm. Width: Approximately 2.8 cm. Depth:             Approximately 1.0 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: 5, petals are fused at base forming a             throat and consisting of an upper lip with 2 petals and a             lower lip with 3 petals, consisting of 2 lateral petals and             one central petal. Shape: Obovate. Margin: Entire, somewhat             wavy. Apex: Obtuse.         -   Upper lip.—Length of petals from throat: Approximately             9.0 mm. Width of each petal: Approximately 1.4 cm. Texture             of upper surface: Sparsely glandular pubescent. Gland color:             Colorless, transparent. Texture of lower surface: Glabrous.             Color of upper surface when fully open: N87A. Color of lower             surface when fully open: 86C.         -   Lower lip, lateral petals.—Length of petals from throat:             Approximately 1.1 cm. Width of each petal: Approximately             1.3 cm. Texture of upper surface: Sparsely glandular             pubescent. Texture of lower surface: Densely glandular             pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of             upper surface when fully open: N87A. Color of lower surface             when fully open: 86C.         -   Lower lip, central petal.—Length from the palate:             Approximately 1.0 cm. Width: Approximately 1.4 cm. Texture             of upper surface: Sparsely glandular pubescent. Texture of             lower surface: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color:             Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface when fully             open: N87A. Color of lower surface when fully open: 86C.         -   Throat.—Length: Approximately 1.1 cm. Width: Approximately:             9.0 mm. Texture of inner surface: Sparsely glandular             pubescent. Gland color: Mixture of colorless and 144A,             transparent. Texture of outer surface: Glabrous. Color of             inner surface: N87C with spots of N79A. Color of outer             surface: 86D. Palate color: 144B and 155D. Palate texture:             Glabrous. Teeth color: 145D.         -   Calyx.—Shape: Star, cupped. Diameter: Approximately 7.0 mm.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 5, fused at base. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Length: Approximately 4.0 mm.             Width: Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture of upper surface:             Glabrous. Texture of lower surface: Sparsely glandular             pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of             upper surface: 139A. Color of lower surface: 139A with an             overlay of N186A.         -   Pedicel.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Acute angle to stem.             Length: Approximately 1.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately             1.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A with an overlay of             187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: 4 per             flower. Filament length: Approximately 4.0 mm. Filament             color: N155D, opaque. Sparsely glandular pubescent. Gland             color: Colorless, transparent. Anther shape: Bilobed. Anther             length: Approximately 1.0 mm. Anther color: 86A. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 155D. Gynoecium: Pistil             quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 5.0 mm.             Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma length: Less than 1 mm. Stigma             color: Colorless, opaque. Style length: Approximately             4.0 mm. Style color: Colorless, opaque. Ovary diameter:             Approximately 1.0 mm. Ovary texture: Glabrous. Ovary color:             145B. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Angelonia has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant named ‘Balarcpur’, substantially as herein shown and described. 